


Overwhelming

by Midnightminx90



Series: M9 College AU [2]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Cuddling & Snuggling, First Kiss, Light Angst, Literal Sleeping Together, M/M, Sickfic, Sleepy Cuddles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-21
Updated: 2019-01-21
Packaged: 2019-10-14 03:58:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17501114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Midnightminx90/pseuds/Midnightminx90
Summary: Caleb is sickNott and Molly will take care of him





	Overwhelming

**Author's Note:**

> I started this way before I Like Me Better When I'm With You, forgot about it, wrote that fic, remembered then forgot again, and yet again, and here we are! Also ofc I couldn't remember it when I had a shitty cold over the holidays and would've had more inspo to write this...
> 
> This is set before I Like Me Better

Caleb is sick.   
  
It is as frustratingly simple as that. 

 

The cold’s been brewing for a few days now, and he noticed it from the start. He tried to ignore it as best he could, focusing instead on school and homework and applying for jobs.    
But the worse it gets, the harder it is to ignore, as Caleb learns as he sinks to the ground, coughing until he is dry heaving one day in the library.   
  
Luckily, Nott is there too.   
  
She helps him home, somehow, despite her small frame and his own weak protests. In fact, Caleb’s so sick that he doesn’t register the trip back to the dorm room he shares with Nott. Highly unusual as it is for people of different genders to board together, the fact is that they are cousins (though they feel more like brother and sister really, although they looks nothing alike) and had somehow been allowed to room together.   
  
For Caleb, who’s has never been good with other people, it’s a blessing to have someone familiar around.   
  
Especially now.   
  
“When was the last time you ate?” Nott asks him.   
“I… cannot remember.” His throat is so dry, Caleb is surprised the words come out at all.    
“Caleb…” Nott never needs to say more than that, not really.   
“I am sorry,” he says, as he always does when this happens.   
  
It is something they are both accustomed to.     
  
Caleb will throw himself at school, will focus so much on proving he is good at it, that he deserves to attend university, that his scholarship will not be wasted, that he forgoes eating. It never ends well, and even though he can normally last like that for a good while before his body refuses to do so anymore, now that he is also getting a cold, his body caved before he thought it would.    
  
So here they are, sitting on the floor just inside the door of their room.    
  
Nott glances about, no doubt thinking about her stashes of food hidden throughout the room. Well, not really hidden, because Caleb’s seen her hide bags of chips and granola bars and sometimes even candy, but he pretends he doesn’t know.    
  
Nodding to herself, Nott practically scurries off to one of her hidden places and comes back with a granola bar, as well as a chocolate bar.   
  
“Here,” she says, placing the items on his lap, then moves to get him a bottle of water from the fridge. “It’s not much but…”   
“ _ Danke _ ,” Caleb says, downing half of the water before smiling at her. “I do not know what I would do without you.”   
  
Nott blushes, shrugging in an attempt to hide it.   
  
Then she seems to remember it’s a school day. Checking her watch she curses, then grabs her things and runs off, muttering something Caleb pretends to not hear.   
Alone, Caleb starts to nibble at the provided food, hoping his body will be able to hold it down, unused as it is to food now, again.   
  
When it seems to stay, he drinks the rest of the water and sits down at the desk, opening the book he’d been reading in the library.   
  
\---   
  
When Caleb wakes up it’s dark, and he is slumped over the desk.     
  
His neck hurts. Well, actually, his whole body hurts, but his head and stomach most of all.    
Getting up is a trial, one that he fails multiple times before he gets to his feet, stumbling towards bed.   
Normally he tries to care about his clothes, but this time he leaves a trail of them in his wake, falling face first down onto the mattress and he falls asleep as soon as he does, not even able to pull the covers up over himself.   
  
\---   
  
The next time he wakes up he is shivering.   
  
When Caleb registers he is sweating and freezing at the same time, he knows this is not just another common cold.    
  
Caleb stumbles out of bed, heading towards the sink and the water boiler on a small table next to it. While waiting for the water to boil, he prepares his tea, the special one that Molly gave him, made by Caduceus on Molly’s request. It’s with ginger, cinnamon, cloves and lemon zest. If Caleb did not know better, he would have said Molly knew this would happen.    
  
He adds a topped teaspoon of honey to the mixture, far more than he would otherwise, before filling the mug with water.   
  
Then he walks back to his bed and covers himself with his comforter, warming his hands on the cup. It’s warm, too warm really to hold like this, but for some reason, Caleb has never minded.    
Caleb sips the tea before it has cooled down properly and he burns his tongue, and he is about to start drinking it before he remembers that Molly said to let it steep for as long as possible before drinking.    
  
And so Caleb waits.   
  
His thoughts wander as he does. First to Nott, the most important person in his life. Then to his friends; to Caduceus and Jester, Yasha and Beau. And then to Molly, who is still the most surprising and least expected part in Caleb’s life.   
  
Molly is everything Caleb is not.   
  
He is colourful and loud, outgoing and bold. Molly connects with people, makes friends easily. He could have anyone he wanted, and Caleb knows there are few at their university who are not interested in Molly in such a way. And yet…   
  
And yet Molly chose Caleb.    
  
Molly met Caleb, got to know him, and he still chose  _ him _ . Caleb will never understand what it is Molly sees in him. He is silent and closed off, drab and dreary in his old, worn clothes; he dresses for comfort, not to be noticed.    
  
Caleb drinks his tea as he picks up his old phone to see if Nott will be home from class soon, and sees Molly’s been texting him. Quite a few times actually.   
  
Sometimes Molly will forget Caleb doesn’t have a smartphone, and so all the emojis won’t appear, just small squares or weird symbols in their place. But not this time. One of the texts lets Caleb know that Nott told Molly that he is sick, and then there is a string of them asking how he feels, if Molly should come over, if Caleb has had anything to eat. Each comes with several hearts, typed out as  **< 3 ** and some smilies that had at first confused Caleb, but Molly told him they’re kisses.    
  
It warms Caleb in a way that the tea and his comforter doesn’t.   
  
**I am fine. Just made some tea** _ , _ he texts back.   
**Did you eat what Nott gave you?** The reply from Molly comes instantly.   
**Ja, I did.** Not that it feels like it. His vision is unclear and he sways where he sits. Caleb knows he needs to eat, but he worries he’ll faint if he gets up again and knows he won’t be able to stay upright for long enough to make something.    
  
Molly does not text him back, and so Caleb lies down again. His stomach protests but he manages to fall asleep eventually.    
  
\---   
  
When he wakes up again, he hears hushed voices.   
  
The room is dark, lit only by a single lamp in the far corner, but it’s still obvious that the voices originate from Nott and Molly. Caleb can’t make out the words from where he is, but at least it seems the pair isn’t arguing for once. They have a tendency to disagree on a number of things, but Caleb has a suspicion that Nott is trying to protect him from getting hurt. It would not be the first time she has looked out for him without discussing it first.   
  
Caleb sits up in bed, and both Molly and Nott are there at once, barely stopping him from hitting the floor.    
  
“ _ Danke _ ,” Caleb says, his voice hoarse and weak.    
“Caleb, I’m…” Nott starts, but Molly cuts her off.   
“I’ll take care of him, don’t worry,” Molly tells her.   
  
She looks Molly, then at Caleb, then back to Molly and her eyes narrow.   
  
“It’s okay, Nott. You can go, I will be fine.”   
“I don’t trust him,” Nott whispers into his ear so that Molly can’t hear.    
“But I do, and you do trust me, do you not?” he whispers back, as his eyes flicker towards Molly.    
  
Nott grumbles, but gives him a peck on his forehead then pulls away.    
  
Her long, dark green hair falls in front of her eyes, but Caleb still sees the scowl directed towards Molly. Caleb would roll her eyes if he didn’t find it so endearing.    
Nott is his only family, just as he is hers. She had grown up in foster care, until she was old enough to be allowed to live on her own. But she had been on her own for long before that, caused by a string of bad foster ‘parents’. Caleb knows his own parents would have taken Nott in, but even with the additional support they would have struggled to make the ends meet.   
  
Then, just as they could have done so, his parents died in a fire that ravaged their entire house, while Caleb was studying at the library.    
  
Nott had come to him then, having heard about the news. Together they had scraped together barely enough money to bury them. The only thing that kept Caleb going was the scholarship he had received. But the new school year had still been months away, and so the pair of them had to get by on their own, in a motel for the first few nights until no one took pity on them anymore and they had to make do with shelters.   
  
Caleb knows Nott took to thieving, but as long as she did not get caught and it kept them alive for long enough for university to start, Caleb found he could not care.   
  
Now Nott has a job at a diner, earning barely enough for them to survive. It makes it easier that she gets free meals at work, and she will sometimes put away some of her leftovers for Caleb to eat when she gets home.    
  
He needs food, now, his entire body screaming out for nourishment.    
  
Nott leaves for work, and Molly sits down next to Caleb. Molly kisses his forehead, then buries his head in the crook of Caleb’s neck and sighs in contentment.    
Caleb doesn't understand how he can do so; he feels sweaty and clammy, like he should soak until his skin turns to wrinkles. Molly on the other hand leaves no question as to whether he has been at work today or not, as Caleb can smell the unmistakable mixture of LUSH products on him.   
Then again, Molly is a person who likes to touch, who enjoys being close to the people in his life. Caleb doesn’t mind, but it does take time to get used to it.   
  
But it would be a lie to say that he does not feel all the better for it.   
  
His stomach decides to rumble just then, and it makes Molly laugh. He kisses Caleb’s neck, then gets up and saunters over to the table just inside the door, putting on a show because he knows Caleb is watching. In fact, Molly is the only person who has ever made Caleb look away from his books, and the man seems to thoroughly enjoy being on the receiving end of Caleb’s attention.    
  
Caleb closes his eyes, trying not to sway in place.    
  
“I brought you this,” Molly says, and Caleb opens his eyes to find the other man in front of him, holding a container of…   
“Chicken noodle soup?”   
“Yes!” Molly beams at him. “I made it myself you know.”   
  
It makes Caleb squint at him, because he knows Molly doesn’t cook. Ever.   
  
“Okay, so Caduceus helped me.”   
“Uhu,” is Caleb’s only reply as he reaches for the food presented before him.    
“Yes, fine, I only stirred it and he did the rest.”   
  
Caleb smiles at him.   
  
“Thank you Mollymauk,” he says, and kisses Molly’s cheek.    
  
The reddened cheeks of the man in front of him clashes awfully with his purple hair and it makes Caleb laugh. Molly is not someone who blushes, not from what Caleb has noticed, and Caleb has noticed a lot about Mollymauk Tealeaf.    
  
Caleb eats his soup as Molly sits down beside him, telling about his day as he eats a chicken sandwich.   
  
It’s such a domestic situation, but in an entirely different way than with Nott, that it fills Caleb with an indescribable feeling. It’s not uneasiness, but… unusual, maybe. Before Nott, Caleb only ever had his parents. They always ate together whenever they could, but school and Nott’s job keeps them from doing the same here.    
  
Having someone next to him as he eats has become such a rarity that Caleb finds himself dreaming of it.    
  
Once Caleb is done eating, Molly puts away the leftovers in the small fridge. As he opens the door, Caleb feels a sting of embarrassment at how empty it is, with just a pair of bottles of water and one of Nott’s rare energy drinks next to a half-eaten bar of dark chocolate.    
  
“You should get some sleep,” Molly says. “I’ll leave you to it.”   
“Would you stay?” Caleb asks, his voice hoarse and small. He wonders if Molly even heard him, because he does not say anything at first.   
“Do you want me to?” Molly asks back, and he sounds unsure even as Caleb hears a hint of hope in his voice.   
  
Caleb pats the bed next to him, and Molly joins him again.   
  
“If it is not too much of a bother to you, Mollymauk, I would like you to spend the night here. I will understand if you…”   
“Caleb, darling, I thought you’d never ask.” The grin on Molly’s face makes Caleb blush.   
“Oh, ah, not like that, I…”   
  
Molly laughs then.   
  
“Don’t worry. I know what you mean.” Molly’s laugh turns into an understanding smile. He puts his hand over his heart and his voice turns serious. “It is my duty and pleasure as your boyfriend to make sure you’ll get better and that’s what I’ll do.”   
“You are an idiot,” Caleb says fondly.   
“Ah, but I am  _ your _ idiot.”   
  
Caleb pecks Molly’s cheek again.   
  
“ _ Ja _ , that you are.“ He huffs a small laugh, then yawns. Thankfully it does not turn into a cough this time. “I am going to go to sleep now.”   
  
Molly helps him stand for a moment, so that Caleb can put on something to sleep in. Then they crawl into the narrow bed, face to face.    
It’s so intimate that Caleb has to turn his face away from Molly, the closeness and what could be implied too much for him. He rests his forehead on Molly’s chest, and feels Molly’s lips at the top of his head, kissing him once again.   
  
They have yet to share an actual kiss, and Caleb has never been so aware of the fact until now.   
  
He is grateful that Mollymauk understand him, that he is patient and does not attempt to make Caleb do something he does not want to.   
Having these thoughts when suffering a bad cold and being curled up in a small bed next to Molly is really not the best time for such thoughts, but it does come as a small revelation to him, that Molly cares enough for him to be willing to care for him, bring him food and even share his bed.    
  
Caleb thinks, once again, that he does not deserve Mollymauk.    
  
Slowly, Caleb lifts his head and looks into Molly’s eyes, searching for something, but not really knowing what.    
Then his eyes flicker to Molly’s lips, and he licks his own, without being aware of the small movement until Molly’s own eyes move to watch it.    
  
And then, slowly, ever so slowly, does Caleb move to close the distance between them.   
  
He sighs, letting all the air in his lungs out as he melts into Molly’s embrace. One of his hands move up to stroke the side of Molly’s face before settling in his hair.   
Molly pulls away for a moment to look at him, thumb stroking over Caleb’s bottom lip.    
  
Caleb gives a small, barely perceptible nod, and then Molly closes the barely-there gap between them, kissing Caleb’s lips, then the corner of them, then planting kisses all over his face.    
  
At last Molly kisses his lips again.   
  
Before he knows it, Caleb feels tears building up in his eyes, so he screws them shut and focuses on the feel of their closed lips meeting.    
  
“ _ Danke _ ,” Caleb whispers against Molly’s lips as they part again, hoping Molly will understand what he cannot put into words. It’s too overwhelming, and the cold is making it hard to focus.   
“Anytime,” Molly whispers back. “Now, you should get some sleep.”   
  
Caleb moves his head down again to cradle it against Molly’s chest, listening to his quickened heartbeat. He closes his eyes and plants one last kiss on Molly’s scarred chest and falls asleep within moments, cradled in his boyfriend’s arms.


End file.
